by Mike Kraus
The two locks were closer to the center of the canal than the ends, and once a ship or group of ships entered one, the control room operator would activate the lock by simply pressing a single button. The lock would close, fill with water to equalize the height with that of the interior canal, then it would open, allowing the vessels inside it to proceed through the canal. At the same time, the lock at the opposite end was closed and equalized as well, through a completely automatic process that required no operator assistance. Because of the timing of the opening and closing of the locks, vessels larger than individual or family-sized craft had to register their passage at least two hours in advance to be guaranteed a slot on the schedule. If, for some reason, a vessel encountered engine or other troubles while traversing the distance between the locks, there was enough room for it to remain for some time for repairs without it interfering with the passage of other ships.
Though the project was initially seen as a vast waste of resources, the benefits it provided were recognized within the first three months of its service. Supertankers previously relegated to sailing around the southern tip of South America were able to pass through the canal for the first time, shaving weeks off of their travel schedules and enabling more goods to be transported across the world faster than was possible with the old canal.
“So what now?” Andrey was looking down the ladder at the canal where they had come from, shaking his head. The only other exit from the control room was a winding staircase out the other side which ended near the road leading to the bridge that, until a short time ago, had been swarming with creatures. Peeking out the door leading to the staircase, Andrey could see that there were still creatures milling around the edge of the bridge, staring at their compatriots on the southern side of the canal who could no longer go north from their current location.
Sergei stood and watched the creatures with Andrey, his finger rubbing nervously on the trigger guard of his rifle. “We wait them out. What other choice do we have?”
Andrey’s shoulders slumped and he rested his head against the wall of the control room, sweat pouring down his face and neck. “Then I guess we won’t make it back, will we?”
The older of the two cousins, Sergei looked at Andrey in pity, wishing that he could somehow save them. Going through their equipment inventory in his mind, his eyes started to dart back and forth as the seed of an idea began to blossom. He pulled his pack off of his back and knelt down in front of it, rifling through the contents until he found what he was looking for. Sergei pulled a set of three grenades out and held them up for Andrey, who took them, holding them at arm’s length.
“What are you thinking?”
Sergei ignored Andrey’s question and pulled out his radio, tuning it to the frequency that the Arkhangelsk was listening on and depressed the microphone button. “Arkhangelsk, this is Usov. Come in, Commander.” A burst of static came back and Sergei quickly turned the speaker volume down. Andrey glanced down the staircase to see if the creatures had heard the noise, but if they did, they showed no signs of caring one way or the other.
“Arkhangelsk, come in!” Sergei hissed, trying to keep his voice low and the panic from rising in his throat. “Respond, damn it!”
Another burst of static was cut off, replaced by the sound of a hand fumbling with a microphone before a voice came through. “Krylov here. How the hell are you still alive, Usov?”
Sergei grinned and responded, his eyes locked with Andrey’s as he spoke. “Commander, Lipov and myself both made it. We’re stuck in the control room, but we may have a way out. Do you have a way to get us back on board if we can make it to the second lock?”
“Shit.” Krylov thought quickly estimating how much time it would take for them to reach the second lock, and how much he could spare before they had to pass through it and place explosives on the third bridge. Doing so meant that they would have to open the second hatch to the deck of the submarine, assuming the port section wasn’t flooded like the starboard, and that they didn’t have any more unwelcome guests on board to contend with.
Shit, shit, shit! Krylov had the presence of mind to keep further repetitions of the word to himself as he juggled the logistics in his mind, finally coming to a decision.
“You have thirty minutes to get yourselves in the water past the second lock’s far gates. After that, we have to get to the last bridge and then get the hell to open water to assess our damage.”
Andrey and Sergei’s faces both paled as they looked out the window of the control room, seeing the second lock far in the distance. Even without having to deal with the creatures, running from the first lock to the second would scarcely be possible, though as their only choice left, they had no other options.
“We’ll be there. Usov out.”
Andrey Lipov | Sergei Usov
1259 PM, April 25, 2038
“Keep your head down and go. Hurry!” Sergei whispered at his younger cousin, urging Andrey to get down the stairwell as quickly as possible. After speaking with Commander Krylov on the Arkhangelsk, the pair had waited in the control room for a few moments, watching as the creatures below started to disperse. At the slow rate at which they were going, it was going to be hours before they were fully gone, though, and Sergei and Andrey didn’t have the luxury of waiting around for that length of time.
Rifles at the ready, Andrey and Sergei descended the stairs rapidly, cringing with each footstep that echoed off of the aluminum structure. The creatures on the ground still seemed uninterested in the pair so they continued moving quickly until they reached a gate at the end of the stairs. Closed with a padlock and a loose chain, it was quickly opened with a pair of bolt cutters pulled from Sergei’s pack, and Andrey swung it open slowly, keeping his gun trained on a collection of creatures wandering north, away from them.
The gate at the bottom of the stairs exited onto a narrow path next to the road that went over the bridge that used to extend over the canal. Separated from the road by a flimsy chain-link fence, there was nowhere to hide from the creatures along the walkway for a good hundred feet, where it split from the road and dropped down into a maintenance passage that went along the thick wall on the edge of the canal.
So far, so good, Sergei thought, tapping Andrey’s shoulder and pointing towards the maintenance passage. Hidden from view as it was, it was the only certain way to move quickly along the canal without being spotted by the creatures. Moving slowly and deliberately, the pair quickly reached the passage unnoticed by the nearby creatures, who were still milling about, completely unconcerned by their surroundings.
Not accustomed to dealing with the creatures, Andrey and Sergei began to relax, feeling cautiously optimistic about their easy escape from the control room. As they made their way along the maintenance passage jogging in the same direction as the Arkhangelsk, Andrey began to hum to himself, quietly at first, then louder as he felt more confident about their safety. This continued for less than a minute before he stopped, panicked, turning to look at Sergei as the screams of multiple creatures came from just above them, at the edge of the canal wall. The sound of breaking branches and running feet joined the screams, causing Sergei’s eyes to widen as he pushed his cousin forward, the two of them breaking into a full-on run.
From behind them, three creatures dropped into the passage. Two landed on their feet and began immediately running after Sergei and Andrey while the third miscalculated its jump, toppling over the edge of the canal wall into the water below. Twisting his upper body as he ran, Sergei fired off a short burst from his rifle, sending plumes of concrete dust spraying into the air. The lead creature howled in pain and was quickly overtaken by its comrade who ignored the pain, focused intently on the two men ahead. The sound of the gunfire did little to aid Sergei and Andrey’s stealthy escape, and they heard the distant sound of several more creatures crying out.
The maintenance passageway was filled with crates and low-hanging pipes and fixtures, forcing Sergei and Andrey to duck and squeeze their
way around obstacles to keep from getting their clothing or equipment hung up. The creature had little difficulty, choosing to tear obstacles out of the way rather than dodge them. Seeing that there was no way to outrun their pursuer, Sergei opted for a somewhat less nuanced approach that he hoped would both take care of the immediate threat and slow down subsequent ones. Reaching into a pouch on his vest, Sergei pulled out a small block of explosives encased in the same high-powered magnetic material used to attach explosives to the bridges. While the explosive in Sergei’s hand wasn’t as large as those used on the bridge, it still packed a powerful punch, and would be more than enough for what he was planning.
With so many exposed metal surfaces in the service passage, it was easy for Sergei to locate one to attach the explosive to. Ahead of them by a good fifty feet, a large metal plate was leaning against the outer edge of the maintenance passage that caught Sergei’s eye. “Andrey! Move faster!” He held the explosive up to eye level as Andrey swung his head around. Upon seeing the small block in Sergei’s hand, Andrey’s eyed widened and his speed increased as a jolt of adrenaline surged through his body. By the time they reached the metal plate, they were several feet further ahead of the creature than before. Sergei quickly looked behind him, judging how far they were from the creature before he threw the explosive at the plate, satisfied by the solid thunk of it attaching to the thick steel.
Out of the same vest pouch that he had retrieved the explosive, Sergei drew a small detonator and thumbed a safety switch on the side. A light on the detonator glowed red and he glanced back, watching the creature quickly close in on the explosive. Just before the creature reached it, Sergei jammed his thumb down on the detonator’s button, causing the red light to turn green. In the same instant, the temperature of the maintenance passage increased dramatically and a thunderous sound and shock wave rocketed through the air, nearly toppling Sergei and Andrey off of their feet.
Concrete and steel exploded outward, showering the water below with pieces of all sizes. The creature chasing after Sergei and Andrey was annihilated in an instant as the maintenance passage began to collapse around the damaged area, blocking off any idea of retreat back the way they came. The deafening noise was audible from miles away, attracting multiple groups of creatures who descended upon the newly formed hole in the canal wall like vultures. Not pausing or slowing down, Sergei and Andrey continued running, putting as much distance between themselves and the creatures behind them as they could.
With the aid of the well-timed distraction, Sergei and Andrey were unmolested by creatures for the remainder of their run, a fact they appreciated wholeheartedly when they fell against a gate at the end of the passage, exhausted. A lock on the gate was quickly broken and they moved forward cautiously, struggling to control their labored breathing as they exited the maintenance passage and returned to the surface.
A second control room that was a mirror image of the first one—though this one had no bridge nearby—was in front of them, and below it stretched a ladder all the way down to the water’s surface. Access to the ladder was available only through the control room, which meant climbing a tall staircase before opening a trapdoor and descending down the ladder. There were no creatures in the immediate area as Sergei and Andrey climbed up the ladder, taking the stairs three at a time. Sergei glanced at his watch, cursing silently. One minute. Shit! Thumbing the radio transmitter, Sergei spoke quietly into it, hoping any creatures that might be nearby wouldn’t hear them.
“Arkhangelsk! We’re here! Where the hell are you?”
As if on cue, a great dark shape rose from the waters of the lock directly below the control room as the submarine slowly rose to the surface. Pieces of the bridge still clung to her hull and the starboard hatch was still open and jammed full of debris. As the deck cleared the surface, the port hatch began to open, revealing two men who stood at the top of the stairwell, looking up at the control room. Sergei and Andrey fumbled with the trapdoor over the ladder for a few seconds before throwing it open with a clang and beginning their descent. With the sub fully inside the lock, the automatic equalization process began and the water began draining from around the Arkhangelsk. After a few tense, nervous moments of descending Andrey and Sergei jumped from the lower rungs of the ladder, landing and rolling to a stop on the sub’s deck. The two crewmen waiting for them helped them to their feet and the four quickly disappeared inside the sub, the hatch closing immediately after them.
Once safely back inside the ship, the two men fell to the floor, throwing their bags and weapons to the side as they gasped for air, eagerly accepting canteens of water held out for them by someone who stepped out from the shadows. “Excellent work.” Commander Krylov stood before them, smiling as they took the canteens from his hands and began drinking noisily from them. “Our guests didn’t think you would make it. I’m very glad to see you proved them wrong.”
Without another word, Krylov turned back down the hall, leaving the four men standing alone to stare at one another. After a few moments, when Sergei and Andrey had caught their breath, the elder cousin looked at the two men who had helped them into the sub. “What about the last bridge?” The man smiled and held out his hand, helping Sergei to his feet while his comrade did the same for Andrey.
“Come up and we’ll see the fireworks together.”
The Arkhangelsk kept on course out of the canal for a full mile before stopping. Commander Krylov had the feed from the periscope routed through several monitors on the command deck so that everyone could watch when the explosives on the final bridge went off. The fireball was small, but visible, and the crew confirmed that the explosives on both the first and last bridges had detonated successfully. An event that should have brought cheers only brought a few sad smiles and a host of determined faces. After opening all of the deck hatches, Krylov ordered the few remaining crew to take stock of the damage and clear the remaining debris from the ship. In the medical ward, Leonard slumbered as Nancy sat nearby, keeping watch over him as they waited for the Arkhangelsk to start the final leg of the journey.
Rachel Walsh | Marcus Warden | David Landry
3:35 PM, April 27, 2038
The midday sun was warm overhead, a surprising and welcome change from the storms that had been plaguing the eastern seaboard for days. A soft wind blew gently through the overgrown grass, reminding Rachel of the summers spent at her grandmother’s home in Texas. Closing her eyes, she could imagine herself back there now, lying on her stomach in the tall grasses as she watched insects climb over each other, consumed in their small world and completely unconcerned with anything outside of themselves. The dream broke apart, fragmenting as she opened her eyes again, staring in disbelief at the massive structure that stretched in front of her, dwarfing everything around it.
The tower was a mixture of dark gray and black, a roughly rectangular shape, albeit with various odd angles built in at unexpected places. There were no windows visible, though the unusual shape created the illusion of various crevices and cracks in the exterior of the structure. It was impossible to tell whether the crevices led to anywhere inside the tower, but they added a great deal to its intimidating appearance. With a wide base that gradually tapered off into a narrow top, the bottom of the tower was easily a mile on each side. Staring at the tower for more than a moment or two at a time made each of the trio’s stomach’s uneasy to the point where they had to look away or close their eyes lest they grow more nauseous.
Though the structure was still a few miles away, the sheer size of it was unsettling to Rachel, David and Marcus. Living in New York, Marcus was used to seeing large buildings, but the scale of the one in front of him made his mind spin as he tried to comprehend the sheer magnitude of it. Lying on the other side of Rachel, David was slack-jawed. The size of the structure on the satellite images had appeared large, but in person it was breathtaking and puzzling to say the least. Standing near a wide bend in a river, a portion of the base of the structure was actually in the water wh
ile the rest of it was spread out over an area that appeared to be a combination of fields and demolished buildings.
“What the hell do these things need with a skyscraper?” Marcus’s question was a whisper. No one said anything for a moment afterward, as they all continued to take in the enormity of what lay before them.
“Looks like it’s almost finished.” Rachel pointed to the top of the structure. “I can’t imagine they can build much higher, given how the width is shrinking so rapidly as it goes up. It’s got to be a kilometer and a half tall already.” Rachel pushed back from the edge of the small hill they were lying on and stood up, stooping over as she walked the few feet back to the train. After seeing the structure in the distance, they had figured out how to slow the train down to a crawl until they found a vantage point that partially sheltered them from view of the tower. Although they doubted that they would be noticed so far away, none of them were about to take any chances when they were so close to reaching the end of their journey.
“C’mon, let’s not waste any time.” Rachel waved for David and Marcus to follow her. They all hurried back to the train, hopping inside and closing the door behind them. Sam whined softly from his spot at the back of the locomotive, tucked into a small nook between two control panels. Rachel patted his head as she got the train moving again, taking care to increase the throttle speed manually instead of triggering the automatic startup process they had used after repairing the track. As the train started moving forward, David and Marcus went around to each of the small windows and ensured that they were both closed and that their sheer blinds were pulled down and secured. The blinds weren’t good for much else than cutting down on the sunlight, but being as close as they were to the nexus, none of them wanted to take a chance and be spotted by the creatures.
